Russia Warns of Crackdown on U.S. Media, Including CNN

Russia Warns of Crackdown on U.S. Media, Including CNN
By Michael M. Grynbaum
In the latest round of tit-for-tat sparring between the United States
and Russia, the authorities in Moscow warned on Friday of a coming crackdown on American media outlets that operate in Russia, including CNN.
The Russian minister of communications, Nikolai Nikoforov, said this week
that the treatment of RT in the United States was the result of an undeserved animosity toward Russian interests.
The move was explicitly intended as retaliation for an apparent American censure of RT, the state-run news organization
formerly known as Russia Today, which American intelligence sources have accused of being used as a propaganda outlet.
On Thursday, RT agreed to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent
in the United States, despite vehement objections from the network’s leadership.
In addition, the Russian authorities had previously warned that any American censure of RT would be met with a response.
RT had particular influence on YouTube, where its 2.2 million subscribers rivaled the totals for major American news outlets.